This invention relates to the field of surface treatment apparatus. More specifically, it relates to devices capable of surface treatment of large diameter pipes, tubing, and like cylindrical objects. By surface treatment it is meant to describe such techniques as blast cleaning, peening, abrading, etc. Such treatments are usually accomplished by projecting abrasive particulate, such as steel shot, grit, sand and like abrasives against the surface to be treated with the necessary velocity and exposure time to accomplish the desired treatment effect. The abrasive may be projected against the surface by means of air pressure blasting or by airless means as, for example, by use of a centrifugal blasting wheel of the type manufactured by Wheelabrator-Frye Incorporated of Mishawaka, Ind.
Surface treatment devices are known in the art as, for example, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,969 to Diehn assigned to the present assignee. That patent, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a portable blast cleaning apparatus capable of treating generally vertical surfaces. Such a device, with necessary modifications, can be utilized in the present invention as the blasting head.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device capable of cleaning the inside and outside of large diameter pipe sections.
It is another object of the invention to provide a device capable of surface treatment of large diameter pipe sections.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the concluding portion of the specification.